If It's Popular, Is It Right?

On Yom Kippur, which falls on Thursday this year, Jewish communities the world over read about the first time this holy day was commemorated.

During that ancient ceremony the first high priest, Moses' brother Aaron, cast a lot on two goats. One was sent into the wilderness, symbolically carrying with it the sins of the people of Israel. The other was sacrificed on the altar.

The idea of having a drawing to determine a particular outcome brings to mind a topic that is on the minds of many of us, our children included.

Gambling is back. It is everywhere. On TV, the Internet, college campuses and in our own living rooms. Poker especially is wildly popular and there is every indication the fascination with this game of skill and chance is growing. On our holy days, we take a step back to ask whether what is popular is also what is right.

Judaism's discussion of gambling as hobby or profession goes back a long way, 2,000 years or so. Like so much of our complex traditions take on matters of importance, its answer is nuanced.

One early text on the subject has to do with those who are disqualified from being witnesses or judges, in other words, people engaged in activities that make one's sense of honesty and fairness suspect. One such person is a "m'sachek ba'kubiya" -- a gambler with dice.

Now wait a minute, this seems harsh. Anyone who gambles can't be a witness because they are untrustworthy? Even the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist was known to be a card player. Surely Jewish tradition can't be that out of touch.

Indeed it is not. Rabbi Judah qualifies the statement: "When is this so? If they have no other occupation, but this. But if they have other means of livelihood, they are eligible."

So those who gamble for a living are considered unfit to be honest judges or witnesses, but for everyone who gambles recreationally it seems to be OK.

This is not, however, the end of the matter. Whether we or our children choose to participate in games of chance is something that should be part of an open line of communication between us and our loved ones.

The line between harmless recreation and potentially addictive or even destructive behavior is not always so clear-cut. Whatever the right answer is for an individual, it should be arrived at through conscious deliberation and discussion, and not simply because everyone is doing it.

During this season of prayer and introspection, we try to look closely not only at the fundamental questions of spirituality and the universe, but also at our everyday activities, which we hope are a reflection of our most deeply held values.

Rabbi David Englander is the senior rabbi at Congregation B'nai Torah, 6261 SW 18th St., west of Boca Raton, 561-392-8566, or visit www.bnai-torah.org.